Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi,born on october 2nd 1869, belonged to the vaysas cast. His father was the hereditary diwan ( prime minister ) of the small community of Kathiawar, north of Bombay, and his mother, a particularly pious woman. Following the hindu traditions, he was married at the age of 13 to a young girl named Kasturbai, of which he had 3 children with.

In 1892, he set out for London to study rights, in the hopes of becoming a brillant lawyer. But the one who would one day reach the heart of millions throughout the world, was definitly not an eloquent speaker at the londonien bar. He tried to adopt the lifestyle of an english gentleman, but that also ended up in failure. As soon as he was admitted to the bar, he rushed back to India. In 1893, his family sent him to south Africa to take care of a family member. There, he lived what he called "The most decisive experience of his existence". While on a trip aboard a train, a white man ordored him to give him his place and to install himself in the luggage area. Ghandi, who held a 1st class ticket, refused. He was then kicked out of the train, without his luggage. A week later, he was holding his first public talk to the Indians of Pretoria. He obtained the right for Indians to travel in both 1st and 2nd class aboard south-africain trains.

To fully follow the principles of the Bhagavad-Gita, which precognised simplicity, he abandonned his luxurious lifestyle ( he earned 5000 pounds sterling every year, which was alot for that period of time ) and went to live in full zulu country, at Phoenix, in 1904. In 1906, he pronounced the vow of Brahmacharya, the vow of abstinence which permitted him to gain full mastery of his senses and emotions.

It was in south Africa that he elaborated the doctrine which would make him famous, and which would liberate India from the British colonisation. Non violence was inspired to him from a text in the New Testament. For Ghandi, violence created only more violence. In september 1906, a law obliged all Indians aged of more then 8 years old to be recensed in the registers of the police. The non violent response which Ghandi put in motion, earned him his first trip to prison. A new form of political combat had just been born, the Satyâgraha, the Power of truth. If he could not persuade his opposers through reason, he would renounce all food and accept emprisonment, using suffering to change the guilty heart of his opressors. *Henry Thoreau's work, which he discovered in prison, was to become the origin of many of his civil desobedience campaigns in India.

Here are the guidelines for the Satyâgrahas :

The Satyâgraha never gives in to anger.

He will support the anger of his adversary.

He will never use violence, but will never accept, under whichever condition that may be, an order given in anger.

He will let himself get arrested and will not oppose the taking of his material goods.

He will never let anyone take whatever good was entrusted in him and will defend it at the price of his life, however, he will never meet violence with violence.

No retaliation, no cursing nor maledictions.

He will not insult his adversaries, will not use any yelling or any other formulas contrary to the spirit of Ahimsa ( non-violence ).

He will not salute the Union Jack, but will not insult him either, nor the Biritish and Indian officers and political figures.

During his campaign of civil desobedience, if some one insults or attacks an officer or political figure, he will protect that person from insult and injury even at the cost of his own life.

In 1914, India saw the return of the man whom poet Rabindranath Tagore had called, the "Mahatma", the great soul. After the second world war, Great britain voted the Rowlatt Act, reprimanding all attempts leading to the liberation of India. In respect to his principles, Ghandi decreted a day of mourning. On april 6th 1919, the whole of India stopped, stores were closed, people stayed in their homes. Unfortunalty, riots emerged, the most tragic of these happening in Penjab. On april 13th, a British general ordored the shooting of an entire protestants group without having received the order himself from a superior, killing 1516 people. From then on, Ghandi would lead a war with no mercy to obtain India's freedom. In july of 1919, he started the mouvement of non-cooperation. Indians were to boycott all english products, which had the goal of destabilizing the english economy.

In 1922, he was sent to his second trip to prison and was liberated before the end of his sentence for health reasons. He started great walks throughout the whole of India to inspire to the masses the ideal of non-violence. The walk of salt, which he started in 1930 was immediatly received with great popular success. Having the goal of intensifying the swaraj, the independance of india, great masses would walk all the way to the Indian ocean, right behind Ghandi, to gather salt and thus, refusing the tax on this product. Thousands of people were thrown in prison, Ghandi being one of them again.

In 1947, India won its independance thanks to Ghandi's incessant work and the support he had received from the millions of Indians which had decided to follow his dream.

Some time later however, fiercely opposed to Partition, which he considered as a form of mutilation, he spoke with Lord Mountbatten, last vice-roy of India to find another solution. Unfortunatly, he did not suceed in convincing him and on august 15, 1947, India and Pakistan became separate independate countries. The independance of India created violent riots between muslims and hindoues in terrible massacres that lasted until one or the other religion of the village had won. Ghandi traveled the entire country to reconcill hindous and muslims.

On January 1948, Gandhi was killed by and hindou fanatic who accused him of not having been able to preserve India's unity and of protecting the muslims. In the arms of those who had always supported him, he called Rama with all of his hearth, his favorite divinity, on his last breath. After his death, on his funeral, litteraly millions of people gathered throughout the country for his berial, and prayed to honor the memory of one of the greatest heroes who ever lived.

Ghandi did not put in contest the Indian system of the casts, but wished to apply them with more softness. He was always revolted at the living conditions of the untouchables, which he always cconsidered and called, the children of god.

*"The duty of civil desobedience" by Henry Thoreau and another work profoundly marked Ghandi's life, "The Kingdom of God is inside you" by Léon Tolstoï, with whom he exchanged a great correspondance.

According to the following website:
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/indianred/gandhi.htm

I also strongly recommend the 1982 movie on Ghandi's life, which was made by Richard Attenborough and won 8 academy awards. A true masterpeice.